A chance to play and beat the Champions. We managed a draw away at a time the Leicester boys were shafting Ranieri, can we do better tonight?
Since Tinkerman left LFC have done very well and seem a rejuvenated team (shameful), we have won two on the bounce. It should be a good game. Leicester tend to rely on the pace of their attack, in particular Vardy.
Vardy and Mahrez. Both AFC targets last summer, both turned us down, both had awful seasons. Good. I was hoping for relegation but mid-table mediocrity will do.
In the excellent Ian Wright interview with Arseblog, Wrighty complained long and hard about our buying policy. On the whole I agree with him, but the non-signing of two Leicester players who just a season before had been journeymen, shows how hard it must be to land the big fish.
Will we continue with the Back 3? Your guess is as good and probably better than mine.
Will AW put out a second string team with the Spurs game in mind on Sunday? I hope not. A win in either gives the same points.
My Team
Cech
Bellerin Gabriel Koscielny Monreal
Ramsey Coquelin Iwobi
Walcott Welbeck Sanchez
Some rotation is necessary with 3 games in just over a week., and for this reason I would revert to the normal back 4. Resting Ozil may be contentious but I want to see Iwobi and Mesut can have a rest on the bench. Welbeck ahead of Giroud because pace could be important.
Of course, the above team will win, Leicester rarely leave Arsenal with points and we must hope tonight continues the trend.
A win tonight puts us back in the mix for an unlikely Top 4 finish. ….
Let it be So
COYRRG
Arsenal News 24/7
arsenalarsenal.net 
Cheers, BR
I’d like to see three at the back as it should be more secure against the counter attack. An extra centre back also gives us more height at set pieces (Leicester’s other strength).
Maybe Bellerin for the Ox if he’s not 100%.
thank you Raddy, I love it when you show your darker side 🙂 I want Leicester to get relegation too, firstly for taking the title that should have been ours last season and for the snubbing of us, I cannot stand that. But good job they did, we don’t want them anyway. Konte however…
Not a sunny day in this neck of woods, could be a tough game
Morning all, thanks for the PM Raddy 🙂
I agree with chas, our improvement in form has come with the back 3 … it is the way ahead with our current crop of players.
Chelski conceded 3 to us earlier in the season with a flat back 4 and then went to 3 and look where they are now. You could see it took them a couple of games for it to work smoothly and I guess we’re the same.
Bellerin for the Ox is a good shout too, and maybe Elneny for Ramsey? The most important point you make is that the 3 points are vital and so rotation is good to keep the players fresh … but resting players for the totnum game would be folly IMO.
Is that Shad geezer still at the Club?
Thank you Erik
I agree and disagree and approximately equal measure.
I’m for 3 at the back and some consistency with both formations as well as players roles in that system ie when making refreshing changes due to fixture congestion, then like for likies
So. Bell for Ox
Gibbs for Mon
Elnen for Ramsey
Coq for Xhak
Iwobi for Mesut
Anyone for Giroud
Goalie, Kos,
Gabs, Holding, Coq,
Elnen, Bell, Gibb, Iwobi, Sanchez, Danny
Now for the big one, sandals to flipflops eh?
Erik
As an extra thank you, I’ve been reading about biodynamic farming, and viticulture in particular. Here we go copy and paste
Biodynamic agriculture is based on the work of Rudolf Steiner (1861–1925), who gave his now famous Agriculture Course in 1924, predating most of the organic movement.[7] It includes ecological and spiritual principles. Biodynamics aims at the ecological self-sufficiency of farms as cohesive, interconnected living systems.
They do mead as well as spiritual shit you know
Cheers Raddy
I agree with Chas and Rasp. I think overly chopping and changing players positions has caused us fluency issues and I think doing this with the formation will have similar consequences.We are still perfecting the system so further time playing it tonight before we face Spuds and Utd away would be a good idea.
We need to win tonight and on the weekend really so I would like as close to strongest line ups in both (injury aside).
Ok, back to today’s game
Some of us may consider the points on offer as irrelevant if we consider top four is an unrealistic goal, and given we’ve already qualified for Europa, maybe it’s all now simply about cementing a system and doing everything to peak in the cup final
Not quite sure where I stand
Bottom line is, as usual, cannot wait for the game and just hope we win by scoring five
Hi GB
I agree. Arsene will know which are the knackered players, and I’d think Mon and Ox would be top of that list
Much as I dislike the 3 at the back, as it means we are short of an attacker, I think it would be sensible to keep it going, with the minimum of changes. This idea that players get tired if they have to play more than a few games in a row is a myth.
I successful team generates the adrenaline to be able to play game after game. Rotation is simply an excuse for players who do not want to try hard enough. If they feel they need a rest after the number of games that they have played in recent weeks, then they are not interested enough and should go.
By the way, the Manure game is at home, not away. We drew away.
I am not sure the back 3 leaves us short of an attacker jj. possibly numbers wise but I would have to see your further reasoning of this to explain it.
More importantly I feel the back 3 (being more solid to the counter-attack if possession is lost) allows some of our attackers to stay in attacking positions even when we are defending. This allows us to change from defence to attack ourselves more effectively.
I feel Arsenals back 4 system often saw us with either almost everyone pushing up on the opposition but leaving little space to operate in or for runners from deeper positions (cue passing sideways around the pitch outside their box), or it dragged everyone back into a scrambling defence as a result of having too many players caught forward.
I feel the back 3 looks more solid defensively without everyone being dragged back and allows certain players to remain largely free from defensive duties taking up dangerous positions.
The back three beat City and their excellent attack
Can’t wait for KO
Is the game not televised?
No Eddie
Usual stream for me but now on hd lightening fast broadband speed
jjgsol
In fairness we’ve been short of an attacker since Brave Robin left, although I’d like to think you’re right about the myth of players being tired, just lazy 🙂
Times like now I’m envious of London dwellers being a short tube ride from a game
Deeply envious Micky. I just have ordinary streaming which can lag and be hugely annoying. Thankfully the game is on Dansk TV
Ah Erik
We’ve always had rubbish broadband out here in the bush, but fibre optic arrived. Oh what a difference to football watching.
Yeah, it’s a sunny evening here, and I’d love to pop onto the circle line, change onto Victoria line and zoom up to Finsbury Park
Me too. I really miss April/May night games.
Get to the pub early, enjoy a couple of sherbets, have a chat about the game and the state of the club, maybe a jaunt into the kebab restaurant (still the best I know) or a crafty pie in Piebury Corner.
Then a road beer followed by entry into the stadium and the excitement of seeing the pitch under the lights. Then the players coming out.
Magical
Only ruined by the twat of a DJ
The marching band Erik 🙂
Never been to Piebury Corner. Don’t even know where it is,
You really get to me heart strings with floodlight stadium. My first ever game in 1973 was a night affair
Me go eat and back to team news
The matchday experience is ok, I suppose.
Ahhh. You lucky lucky boys
3 at the back but Hector, Francis and Theo in.
That’s rubbish team news
I want the works and subs
Team to play Leicester: Cech, Gabriel, Koscielny, Monreal, Bellerin, Coquelin, Xhaka, Gibbs, Ozil, Sanchez, Walcott
Subs: Martinez, Ramsey, Elneny, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Iwobi, Welbeck, Giroud
Ooo I say, I’m getting quite good at this
I added in Bell, Gibbs, Coq and anyone but Giroud 🙂
Hang on, I asked for Bell Holding Coq
Where the hell is Holding
Has anyone seen one of the AFC graphics with the team sheet because that could be 4 at ze back
Eddie
According to my stream its on BT Sport 1
Bell’s reverted back to the bun
We could use some venom in attack. How about trying a shot?
Oh relax Erik, it’ll come and it’ll be beautiful
Like the idea of some venom though
Also like the Granit Coq pairing
Tony Gale is a complete moron and anti-AFC
despite the miserable commentator, I thought that was good.
Danny on for Theo would be a good choice
Granit has been quite superb
is he the commentator Erik?
Well, in 45 minutes we saw why AFC have to sell Coquelin, Gibbs and Walcott.
Sanchez has forgotten how to play as a CF and worse forgotten that we play in red and white, his passing has been awful – but what a wonderful shot in the 45th minute!
Xhaka and Ozil bossing the midfield.
I am not sure about Bellerin’s role and neither is he.
Still, we are the better team and with a little bit of good fortune can win this.
what was I thinking, it’s the ox we need
60 mins- Time for Danny – get Theo off
crikey, imagine getting a hyper extension during bend over club
awkward to say the least
come on Arsenal
oh yessssss
Get in …….
Monreal on fire
shit, late goal for spurs
Phew. That was a bit squeaky.
Damn.
blimey, 7 minutes just added on. Come on Palace
thank you Raddy. 🙂
altogether now. ha ha ha ha ha 🙂 onwards and upwards
fceking Christian. 😦
Great result. Looking at the fixtures it’s still a very difficult task to finish top 4 as we have some tough games, but you never know.
Hopefully Dembele out at the weekend after he limped off at half time.
Oh well, we’ll have to inflict maximum damage on sunday
G’nite
Ah ha, Chas, have I got a treat for us
My daughter sent me this
Strange game. Nacho, Bellerin and Xhaka were great, the rest ok.
at half time I was going to get a rifle, March to the Ems and shoot Walcott. He touched the ball les than 10 times and passed it back at least 3 times. What is the matter with him??
Uncanny 🙂
This is Theo’s favourite video game.
Yeah right, thanks for team sheet graphic chas 🙂
Eddie
It was almost weird how awful Theo was
One thing yesterday guarantees is starts for Danny and Ox on Sunday, so that is very good news
I’m not sure if it’s a good or bad thing that I’m watching the same shit as your teenage daughter. 😆
Awful? Awful?! It was fooking criminal. In any other profession he would have been fired for gross professional negligence
And Ramsey with his heel fancy kicks is getting annoying
And what about the moron who jumped on Giroud? Surely that should be a red retrospectively
And Sanchez Disgraceful pretendies?
Morning All,
7.19. Very fine picture. Wish I could look so graceful.
No surprise that chas is looking at sites frequented by teenage girls 🙂
Yes Erik, that is a very fair interpretation
Eddie
Those in attendance on the sofa last night, aka didit and erik, chose not to comment on the sanchez pretendy for good reason
Are you saying I’m some sort of pervert for looking at clips of dogs diving over fences?
love the hovercraft pic
Micky – I cannot blame them, it was ugly, I hope someone is going to tell him off for that.
Xhaka is growing on me, he has improved 30% in a few months
chas
it is a brilliant clip and your version better because it repeats
Chas – not just because of those clips, there is more to it 😆😆
chas. That is one interpretation.
Anyone got something for a post today. Maybe a jokey player ratings?
…Theo 0
I was going to do something but I’m fucked if I can be arsed now.
I remember the excitement of taking a hovercraft over the channel. It felt like an adventure
chas. Is that teenage petulance? 🙂
Morning all, fantastic win yesterday. We should sell Theo over the summer … if anyone would take him …. but then I look at the widget and he’s scored 19 goals … how did he manage that when playing so crap??
This season is just plain mad … we’ve got one more point than at the same stage last season?? If only we’d tried 3 at the back 10 games earlier 😦
I am doing something.
Just got back from school run with a teenage daughter
You have no idea how spot on that exchange is
“Is that teenage petulance?”
“Whatevvvver”
Micky – better than 20s arrogance
So I watched the game last night and for sure:
– let us get rid of Gabriel
– let us demand more of Ramsey because he has the engine and the skills to be an excellent box-to-box
– Monreal could stay but as a back-up option if a we stayed in a back 3 – he could play on the left
– I am ok to sell Ozil and I am not ok to sell Sanchez
– Sanchez needs a target CF to play off from as he is only very dangerous then. Whether it is Giroud or Wellbeck, it is up to AW but Sanchez does not work well with Walcott at as a CF.
– Wellbeck is looking sharp – it is nice to see
– We can be frustrating at times – toying around with the ball in the opponent’s half – we need to create space for Xhaka, Ramsey and Sahcnez to take long shots. Also our WBs need to shoot more.
– Playing 3 at the back is helping us cope defensively
– Mahrez and Drinkwater are quality players.
– Hope that Koscielny will be OK
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